Malik crosses sword with Chief Selector over team selection

Lahore, Jan 15 (ANI): Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik and chief selector Salahuddin Ahmad are learnt to have crossed swords over the selection criteria of the national team for the upcoming ODI series against Zimbabwe.

Both have also reportedly informed PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf about their grievances.

Sources close to PCB revealed that Shoaib was in favour of picking up youngsters in the team, but against the inclusion of Shahid Afridi because of his unimpressive performance against India.

“Malik wants young players in the team while the chief selector is preferring experienced hands. Malik is not happy with Afridis recent performance in India where the all-rounder could score only 73 runs in four matches. Moreover, Afridi was out of form in the recently concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in which he scored 112 runs,” the PCB quoted the sources as saying.

They added that Salahuddin had very close family relations with Afridi and for this very reason the chief selector was always interested in selecting Afridi in the playing eleven. (ANI)